The invention concerns an electronic memory device for a magnetic tape cassette and a recording and/or reproducing apparatus suitable for this, in particular a video recorder with digital processing of digitally coded video/audio signals. The magnetic tape cassette has a housing containing one or more reels of magnetic tape as well as the electronic memory device which can be connected via connecting means to the recording and/or reproducing device and which can be controlled by this in the sense of an evaluation of the information stored, and which contains information for preventing and/or enabling certain operating states of the recording and/or reproducing device.
A magnetic tape cassette having an electronic memory device, electrical connecting means and a possibility for being controlled through a recording and/or reproducing device, in the sense of an evaluation of the information stored, is known from DE-PS 29 43 409. In this case there is provision for storing the respective current tape position and, if applicable, additionally characteristic data which concern the magnetic tape cassette itself and/or the magnetic tape of the cassette itself, for example, the type of cassette or the advantageous level of the bias. (premagnetization). The first data are variable data in the sense of a tape counter which merely serve for defining the momentary position of the tape. The additional data are fixed data which are stored just once and for all, reflecting tape or cassette parameters such as the nonvariable mechanical or magnetic properties of the cassette. There is no provision for altering these data or using them to directly influence or block the recording and/or reproduction functions.